Kei Nishikori vs Mitchell Krueger Preview & Prediction | 2025 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships | First Round

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Number eight seed Kei Nishikori meets American qualifier Mitchell Krueger in the first round in Houston.

Ranking points: ATP 250

Start date/time: Tuesday 1st April, 2025: UK – not before TBC / US ET – not before TBC / US PT – not before TBC

Venue: River Oaks Country Club, Houston, USA 

Surface: Outdoor clay

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / US – Tennis Channel

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / US – Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Kei Nishikori vs Mitchell Krueger ticket information

Kei Nishikori vs Mitchell Krueger prediction

Kei Nishikori returns to Houston for the first time since his surge to the 2011 final as he continues his rejuvenation following an injury-ravaged few years.

The 35-year-old Japanese star dropped as low as 581 in the world but has risen sharply since finally being able to put a run of tournaments together over the past 12 months. 

Nishikori has made a solid if unspectacular start to 2025 but comes into his first clay tournament of the season on the back of a run to the semi-finals at the Phoenix Challenger where he lost to Joao Fonseca.

Nishikori is renowned for having an excellent clay-court game and as a two-time champion in Barcelona, he can be a force to be reckoned with on the dirt if his game clicks into gear.

Krueger has an 8-5 record in Houston (including qualifying) but has never been beyond round two and his wins over Toby Alex Kodat and Patrick Zahraj in qualifying both came with his opponents retiring after moving a set up.

Nishikori prevailed 4-6 6-3 6-2 when the two players met at the Palmas del Mar Challenger two years ago on an outdoor hard court and the world number 66 should progress in this one too.

Kei Nishikori vs Mitchell Krueger tip: Kei Nishikori to win